What had been the largest moments at UFC Paris? Jeff Wagenheim, Brett Okamoto and Marc Raimondi provide up their takeaways from a highlight-packed occasion in France.

For the primary eight minutes of Saturday’s UFC predominant occasion in Paris, you can have match the Arc de Triomphe within the house between Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa. That is the best way Gane needed it. For a spherical and a half, he was displaying off why he is thought of essentially the most technical heavyweight striker on the planet. With the Frenchman controlling distance whereas touchdown crisp jabs to the face and kicks to the physique, Tuivasa stored coming ahead and throwing big punches however could not contact Gane.

Then Tuivasa did discover him with a winging right-hand halfway by means of Spherical 2, and Gane fell backward to the canvas, stiffened.

“Actually, Tai hit me so laborious he knocked me out. He put the lights out,” Gane stated by means of an interpreter. “I fell down, however I needed to be a warrior. I received up … and I got here again even stronger.”

That he did, as Gane instantly went on the assault, closing distance and throwing every thing he had. Now Tuivasa was the one on retreat, because the physique pictures had been visibly taking their toll. The spherical ended with Gane on the offensive and the gang at Accor Enviornment roaring. The combat was on.

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It could not final one other spherical, although. Gane spent Spherical 3 mercilessly attacking Tuivasa’s tender midsection, and whereas the Australian fighter remained harmful, Gane was not preventing from distance. Within the closing minute of the spherical, he landed a crushing proper uppercut that put his opponent on wobbly legs, then floored him with a succession of lefts earlier than referee Marc Goddard jumped in to finish it at 4:23.

This was a massively profitable Paris debut for the UFC, partly as a result of two of its high heavyweights placed on a stirring efficiency through which each had their moments — though the one preventing in his hometown had much more massive moments than the opposite.

Past that, Gane and Tuivasa confirmed martial arts spirit at its finest. There was no dangerous blood. They smiled at one another all through, which by no means received in the best way of them making an attempt to knock out the opposite. It was a deal with for the followers, who sang loudly by means of the opening spherical and appreciated what they had been witnessing.

And what was that? The Parisian followers had been watching their 32-year-old countryman emphatically getting again on monitor following his solely profession defeat, a five-round resolution in opposition to UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in January. This victory places Gane proper again within the title image, though it is a crowded image with Jon Jones having the within monitor to the champ. The Frenchman’s day will come (once more), although, and after watching this chic efficiency, I am unable to wait till it does.

And if Ngannou, who used to coach in Paris, remains to be in possession of the belt when Gane’s subsequent championship alternative comes, I hope they maintain the title combat within the Metropolis of Lights. — Wagenheim

‘They’ve to return again’: Paris places UFC on discover with an epic efficiency

PARIS — Benoit Saint Denis needed to pull himself collectively. He was the primary French-born fighter to stroll out on the UFC’s first card in his house nation and entered Accor Enviornment to a hero’s welcome.

By the point Saint-Denis competed, the constructing was full and it was solely the third combat of the night. The followers had been on their toes, chanting his title and treating him like one of many sport’s greatest superstars.

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In the course of the first spherical, as Saint-Denis was slinging leather-based with opponent Gabriel Miranda, a rumble got here up from the stands that was borderline horrifying. It did not find yourself being ominous – it was simply the collective sound of greater than 15,405 stomping and clapping in assist of their hometown UFC star.

“It felt a bit like a online game, the primary minute of the combat,” Saint-Denis stated. “It is big. The ambiance. It is troublesome on your mind to simply accept that every one these guys are cheering for you. It’s important to think about the [opponent], as a result of clearly you’ve gotten a job to do. That is what counts.”

Saint-Denis stated when Miranda took him down within the first spherical, he snapped out of the daze. Simply 16 seconds into the second spherical, Saint-Denis dropped Miranda and completed him with a flurry on the bottom – because the followers right here grew to become unhinged with pleasure. It was as if Saint-Denis was Conor McGregor, Muhammad Ali and Rocky Balboa all rolled into one, moderately than a 26-year-old prospect in simply his third UFC combat.

Fares Ziam, William Gomis, Nassourdine Imavov and Ciryl Gane additionally received the royal therapy. Ziam stated the “vitality” of the gang willed him out of an armbar and a foul place when Michal Figlak took his again. The gang roared when Gomis escaped a deep triangle from Jarno Errens within the third spherical and received a choice.

After which there was Gane. The gang popped big throughout his walkout and the loudest it was all night time (as much as that time) was the primary spherical, cheering Gane’s title and singing the French nationwide anthem in unison. When Gane knocked out Tuivasa within the third spherical, it whipped the followers into an unimaginable frenzy. There was cheering, dancing, singing and leaping round, and a few followers seemed like they had been on the verge of tears. The ambiance was unmatched in MMA, save for some unreal playing cards in Eire and England through the years. Perhaps.

A historic night time in France #UFCParis

(by way of @marcraimondi) pic.twitter.com/kyHaFRsHHH

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 3, 2022

“No one on the planet anticipated this from the followers of France,” Gane stated in his postfight interview. “However bro, have a look at this. I am so completely satisfied.”

The stands had been about 75% full for the primary combat and loaded with vitality, a stark distinction to Las Vegas UFC exhibits which do not begin filling up till the primary card begins. And the one cause why the gang wasn’t fully of their seats for the primary bout in UFC France historical past was that many had been nonetheless ready on lengthy traces exterior.

The UFC arrange a cell UFC Retailer to the facet of Accor Enviornment, adjoining to an enormous “UFC” signal and steps painted with the likenesses of Gane, Francis Ngannou, Georges St-Pierre and French girls’s flyweight contender Manon Fiorot.

Berny Tamayo, born and raised in Paris, was close to these outsized UFC letters earlier than the occasion, taking pictures and assembly up with associates. Tamayo, carrying a Valentina Shevchenko combat equipment (his favourite fighter) and a Nate Diaz hoodie, stated he has been a UFC fan for ten years. But, he wasn’t positive if the promotion would ever maintain an occasion in his hometown because the sport was unlawful in France till 2020.

“I stated, ‘I should be right here – it doesn’t matter what, regardless of the associated fee,'” Tamayo stated when he discovered about UFC Paris. “It is so necessary. For us, it is every thing.

“We have to present Dana White that Paris is the place in Europe for UFC exhibits.”

Simply on a 10-minute stroll to the Accor Enviornment by means of the Bercy space, you move the Nihon Judo dojo and the Crew Zeitoun Thai boxing fitness center. France has lengthy been a sizzling spot for judo, karate and Muay Thai. And now it appears primed to be a brand new go-to spot for MMA, particularly after Saturday night time.

“I do not see some other choice for [the UFC],” Saint-Denis stated. “They’ve to return again and again and again. Like they do London.” — Raimondi

Robert Whittaker is among the finest fighters on the planet

what? I like my ESPN colleagues, and I feel we do some terrific work on this sport at ESPN. However I’ve received to take them to activity for a minute. You guys want to point out some respect for Robert Whittaker. In ESPN’s present pound-for-pound rankings, solely two of the six voters have Whittaker contained in the High 10. Going into this combat, I had him at No. 7, the highest-ranked non-champion on my listing.

I feel some persons are sleeping how particular of a fighter Whittaker is. This former champion is 12-2 since transferring as much as middleweight, and his solely two losses have come in opposition to a generational expertise in Israel Adesanya. And after they fought the newest time, two judges gave Whittaker two of 5 rounds in opposition to Adesanya. What he is doing is great. It is not as spectacular as what Adesanya has carried out, however it deserves recognition and to be valued for what it’s.

I like that in his post-fight speech on Saturday, he maintained that he is at all times gunning for that No. 1 spot and that he’ll at all times be “lurking” at 185. There have been some headlines earlier this week a few attainable transfer to mild heavyweight, however I hope that does not occur. Whittaker is world class as a middleweight — and belt or no belt, I recognize the extent of greatness he is acting at. — Okamoto